11.30.2009

Often thought of the most suitable hardwood for outdoor furnishings because of its hardiness when exposed to water, heat and humidity, teak makes for great bathroom tubs and sink basins as well.

Plavisdesign of Italy, who has a large selection of ceramic designs for the bath, has a special collection of modern teak wood tubs and wonderful sink vessels by Bulle Design, many of which were recently introduced in the trade shows.

The natural quality of the wood and the organic shapes combined with sink pedestals of glass and/ or stainless steel accents or fittings, make this collection suitable for many architectural styles or genres. Japanese miminalist, bauhaus, modernist or simply urban would all be appropriate environments for pieces from this collection.

Teak Tubs

Abby:
Day:
Nextstep:

Teak Sinks / Basins / Vessels

All:
Ant:
Dave:
Gene:
Luis:
Neil:
Stan:

And the Teak Middle, a wall mounted shower:

In addition to this collection, Plavisdesign has many beautiful ceramic sinks, vessels, basins and tubs, too.

11.29.2009

The annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which will air on CBS on December 1st, has gone beyond simply sexy. This year, it's moved far from a cheesy Vegas Revue or a slutty Ziegfeld Follies. Along with showcasing the usual; lace g-strings, merry widows, satin teddies, push up bras and lots of lovely skin, the show is fast becoming an true fashion show. All without losing its sex appeal.

This year's styling deserves kudos for breaking away from more traditional angel wings as props, replacing them with far more edgy and imaginative versions. Wings made of balloons, wire, fabric, plexiglass and more are combined with the lingerie, making it feel as though we're at Fashion Week watching a futuristic and irreverent fashion designer instead of just the leggy nubile nymphs most husbands ogle while on the john.

The set designs and lighting are more akin to a theater production than a lingerie show:

The show is bound to widen its audience appeal by treating the runway, sets and styling like it's a JCDC or Gilles Deacon show instead of just voyeurism for a lascivious audience. But don't fret, there's still plenty of cleavage, thigh-high boots and butt cheek-baring couture for those of you who want it.

The unusual styling:

The host, supermodel Heidi Klum:

The show is hosted by the incredibly stunning Heidi Klum, who I am now convinced is actually an alien being, haven given birth to four children (the most recent just 6 weeks prior to hosting this show!!) only to have her rockin' bod snap right back into shape without so much as a stretch mark.

Since her VS catwalk debut in 1997, Heidi has been a showstopper—wearing the tallest wings ever in 2003 and singing a duet with her husband Seal in 2007.

The Entertainment
In addition to the far out costuming, there was plenty of wild set decor and entertainment. Black Eyed Peas performed and Fergie, looking just as sexy as the supermodels, rocked the house:

The $3 million 2009 Diamond Harlequin Fantasy Bra:

Each year, they have a 'fantasy bra' made with real diamonds and gemstones. This year, it's the 2009 Harlequin Fantasy Bra set with over 2,350 brilliant cut white, champagne and cognac colored diamonds accented with a rare 16 carat heart-shaped cognac diamond pendant. Total carat weight =150. Price = $3 million:

More from the show:all images courtesy of Getty and Victoria's Secret

You can see backstage photos, learn about the Miami model search, see the girls in Times Square and much more at the Victoria's Secret All Access website.
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will air on CBS, December 1st.